


Mirror

by QuintusHazard



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Sort of? - Freeform, just a short lil oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-16 05:47:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14805516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuintusHazard/pseuds/QuintusHazard
Summary: It was like looking in the mirror, a mirror of time that showed you yourself, as a teenager.





	Mirror

It was definitely an odd thing to be staring at your… yourself, really. That’s what Cronus was. He was YOU. You were HIM. It was like looking in the mirror, a mirror of time that showed you yourself, as a teenager.

Cronus wasn’t lanky or thin by any means, oh no – you could tell that he had some muscle. His broad shoulders told you that immediately. But what was interesting was that he was so SMALL compared to you, with your own broader shoulders, thick arms and legs, and wide body. He could handle a few punches, but you could handle a lot more.

You can see that he knows this, and you think this is why he crosses his arms and fans out his ear-fins as he leans his weight on one foot. You can tell that he’s studying you too. You can tell by the narrowed eyes – that’s probably how you look too.

Look at him – he’s pathetic compared to you. No.. that’s not fair. You two share blood. You two are genetically exactly the same. To call him pathetic would be calling yourself pathetic too. Well, you are pretty pathetic with your bad quadrant luck and your antisocial personality. But it isn’t fair to call him pathetic.

You don’t resent him – you came from him after all. He is Cronus, and so you are also Cronus, but bigger, tougher, with a different upbringing. He’s probably been pampered.   
He’s probably never had to shoot lusii and listen to the cries of orphaned grubs without being able to scoop them up and find them a new home. He’s probably never seen bloodshed in his life. He’s soft.

You hold that thought, remembering this game that he and his peers had to play. But even then, surely he hasn’t seen as much pain and suffering as you have. But there’s something of an understanding between the two of you. You have both seen things. Suffering isn’t a competition. He’s young, he’s had his youth torn away from him just as you had. 

Poor thing – you told yourself you wouldn’t go feeling sorry for him, but here you are. His jaw slackens a bit, his mouth staying closed – he appears to be relaxing. You mirror his posture and he snorts a laugh.

“I understand howv you feel, chief. I’m a fuckin idiot and nobody vwants to date me, but I guess they’re just missin out on royalty.”

“Don’t go rubbin salt into the wound, boy.” You reply to him with a curt tone. “I don’t feel sorry for ya cos of that – I feel sorry cos of the sufferin. The bloodshed ya had to see. The fact that you couldn’t be a child.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right, big fella. It’s stuff I just had to deal vwith. I vwas a pretty bloody guy myself, ya’knowv? But it’s not somethin I vwant anymore. But nobody listens to me.” His earfins droop a bit and he looks down at the ground between you.

You know. You wanted Mindfang dead after being such a fool and being in her quadrants. But the Grand Highblood? He’d taken hold of your horns and torn you right in two after you couldn’t tell a single fucking JOKE to him.

The memory of that brings a shudder to your body, and your shudder makes him shudder too. Maybe he’d had a bad experience with his Makara? He shuffled closer to you, laying his head on the plates of your armour. 

“Seems evweryone’s out to get us, huh?” he sighs as you look down at him. How can you resent him? He’s making himself vulnerable to you, knowing how much you hate yourself and he hates HIMself and knowing that you SHOULD hate each other but you DON’T.

“Aye.” You finally agree with a sigh, placing a hand on his head. This is what you’ve both needed. You’re both sick of the hate. You know it. You two probably deserve it because of something or another, but this is how you can help each other, by not HATING each other.


End file.
